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### -UMENTO ^ JPCRWiC i u s . Deportmerr t o f : ' Z ] p . ;: • rp/ i f ; r> : r < 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , S E Transportatio n " • • ' • -'' " ' ' •^ ' i . J Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar y o f Transportatio n q O 0 ; 

### Th e Honorabl e Gow B . Field s SE P 2 ] 201 1 Mayo r o f Lakeland Lakeland , F

L 33801-501 2 Dea r Mayo r Fields : Than k yo u fo r you r letter supportin g th e proposa

l submitte d b y th e Lakeland Linde r Regiona l Airpor t fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Small Communit

y Program) . Th e Smal l Communit

y Progra mwa s establishe d t

o hel p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularl y issue s relate d t o high airfare s an

d insufficien

t service . Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e th e funds to mak

e amaximu

mo f 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , althoug h no mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e to communitie s i

n the sam e State . I n orde r to provide communitie s wit h latitud e i n developin g solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility in ho w th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen

t issue d a n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste d in receivin g agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2 . A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e yo u understand tha

t I canno t commen t o n th e merit s o f an y particula r proposal . I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will giv e fiill consideratio n to al l proposal s tha t hav e bee n properl y filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acop

y o f you r lette r and thi s respons e i

n Docke t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outsid e th e recor d o f thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . If

I ca n provid e furthe r information or

assistance , pleas e fee

l fre e to call me . Sincerel y yours ,

Aloh aLe y Associat e Director Smal l Communit

y Progra m/^^^ . ^Cit y o f 

# LAKELAND : GO W B . FIELDS , Mayo r Augusts , 201 1 Th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n Unite d Sate s Department

o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , SE , Washington , D.C . 20590 . T o Who mI

t Ma y Concern : A s Mayo r o f th e Cit y o f Lakeland , I a

mplease d t o suppor

t Lakelan d Linder

Regiona l Airport' s grant

applicatio n fo

r th e Department

o f Transportation' s Smal l Communit y Ai r Servic e Development

Program . Th e Airpor

t serve s avita

l rol e i n our

visio n fo r Lakelan d and fo

r th e surroundin g communitie s in Pol k County . W e shar e th e Airport' s goa

l o f attractin g lo w cos t

commercia

l servic e to th e regio n to foste r economi c growt

h an d improv e qualit

y o f lif e option s fo

r th e citizen s i n our community . W

e expec t tha t no t onl y wil l th e ai r

servic e provid e benefit s to our region , bu t

als o t o th e airport s tha

t will b e solicite d a s trave l destination s i n th e nort h eas t and mi d wes t

region s o f

th e country . Th e Ai

r Servic e progra

mthat ha s bee n adopte d wil l focu s o n th e no n primar y airports , where lo w cos t

carrier s ca

n capitaliz e o n th e lowe

r infrastructur

e cost s t o permi t

lowe r fare s fo r passenger s visitin g th e Centra l Florid aregion . Lakelan d Linde r

Regiona l Airpor t i s th e first

Airpor t to provid e commercial servic e i n th e count

y and i t i s important

fo r thi s venture t o b e successful . I t ha s only bee n a mont h sinc e th e Airpor

t commence d servic e and thi s ha s been amajor accomplishment

fo r ou r cit y and county . Marketin g wil l play avital rol e i n th e succes s o f

thi s program . W

e hav e committe d a

n additiona

l $200,00 0 fo

r th e upcomin g fiscal yea

r 201 2 whic h supplement s th e $206,00 0 w e expende d i n 2011 . Additiona l fundin g fro

mthi s grant

woul d b e extremel y helpfu l a s w e marke t no t onl y ne w serN'ic

e route s but

ane w Aiipor

t "Lakeland " to th e Commercia l Passenge

r Industry . Lakelan d i s situate d betwee n Orland o an d Tamp aan d it s locatio n b y th e Pol k Parkwa y an d Interstat e 4 enable s eas y acces s to an d fro mth e airpor

t with groun d transportatio n alternative s availabl e t o mov e the mto thei r

final destinatio n withi n Pol k County , or

it s neighborin g Hillsboroug h an d Orang e Counties . 22 8 S . Massachusett s Avenu e • Lakeland , Florid a 33801-501 2

Phon e 863/834-600 0 • www.lakelandgov.ne t 

# TAugusts , 201 1

Pag e 2 Th e Ch y o f

Lakelan d an

d Pol k Count y als o ha s many attraction s and event s fo r visitor s to take advantag e o f whil e visitin g our

regio n an

d w e are committe d to providin g th e bes t

custome r servic e t o al l o f

th e passenger s movin g throug h th e terminal . Centra l Florid aha s been on e o f th e hardes t

hi t area s sinc e th e recession , and th e increase d traffi c tha

t th e Air Servic e woul d brin g to ou r regio n woul d b e no t

onl y extremel y beneficia

l t o thi s region , bu t

als o t o th e stat e throug h adde d touris t and busines s travel . W e believ e strongly i n promotm g A h Servic e to Lakelan d Airpor t an d expec t

th e economic , transportatio n and qualit y o f lif e benefit s t o b e importan t

t o th e recover

y o f th e region . I n closing . Lakelan d Linde r Regiona l Airpor t ha s jus t commence d Ai r

Servic e i n Jun e 201 1 and fro

mal l report s ha s see n high passenger volumes . W

e hav e worke d closel y withi n ou

r city , count

y and state to marke t

th e Aiipor

t a s w e al l understan d th e vita l rol e i t wil l pla y i n ou r future . Marketin g i s critica l a s w e launc h ne w servic e and th e city , count

y and state are committe d to ensuiin g thi s servic e i s successfiil ; however , additional marketin g investment s wil l pla y acritical aspec t

i n th e overal l succes s o f th e program . W

e hop e tha t yo u wil l consider

our applicatio n fo

r thi s grant an d w e ca n ensure tha

t i f w e are grante d fundin g th e investment o f thes e fiind s wil l deliver a n excellen t

retur n not onl y fo r ou r communit

y bu t als o t o th e passenger s and th e citie s o f

origi n travellin g t o centra

l Florida . Kindes t regards^

Go w B . Fields , Mayo r Cit y o f Lakelan d 

# ,,JU ^